


A Strictly Business Arrangement

by ShaunaRose



Category: Magic: The Gathering (Card Game)
Genre: Crack Pairing, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Romance, F/F, Femslash, Slow Burn, Smut, emmara is a stubborn tree hugger who loves to daydream, oh shit shes hot, teysa is a grumpy lawyer who has no time for romance, theyre both dumb as hell
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-02
Updated: 2019-10-02
Packaged: 2020-11-15 07:01:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,195
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20862158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShaunaRose/pseuds/ShaunaRose
Summary: What would happen if Emmara, unbeknownst to herself of course, was REALLY attracted to Teysa when she was being interrogated during the Dragon's Maze? And what if Teysa decided to take advantage of a deal weighed heavily in her favor (What good Orzhov wouldn't?), but then found out there was a lot more to the Selesnyan than she bargained for? Kind of a crack pairing. There's smut but also some good old classic slow burn.





	A Strictly Business Arrangement

It was just a flickering gaze, but Teysa caught it. The game changed.

She drew back and snapped her fingers and the entirety of her small army filed out of the room until she was completely alone with her prisoner. Thinking out her next course of action, she walked in a decent sized circle around the elf, dragging her cane behind her to form the advokist’s symbol. 

It was just a flickering gaze, but Teysa caught it and it changed everything. 

“What are you doing?” Emmara questioned, glancing around the room as if she couldn’t believe that the thralls had all left. Her gut told her that the threat was far from over, though. “Your threats do not scare me. I am above falling for your tricks. I won’t help you or your poor excuse of a guild.” 

Teysa let her ramble on. She’d already won, anyways.

“You’ll tell me the remaining order,” she said when Emmara finally stopped protesting. She took a step towards the shackled elf. And another. Then, she leaned in close and spoke against Emmara’s ear, the elf's golden hair tickling her cheeks. “I can give you whatever you desire in return for the information.” Teysa took a step back, out of her circle. “And believe me, elf, I always honor my contracts.” 

Emmara’s whole body stiffened as Teysa pulled away, her throat suddenly dry. She cast her gaze down and gritted her teeth. “I am interested in what you have to offer,” she spat out, but when it occurred to her what exactly she had said, her eyes widened in surprise. “I meant to say that I am interested,” she tried again, as panic rose in her chest. “You are twisting my words on purpose!”

A smile tugged at the corners of Teysa’s mouth. She shook her head pitifully, nudging the symbol around Emmara’s feet with her cane. “Sweet, innocent elf,” Teysa chuckled, “You are standing in a verity circle. It ensures you cannot lie.” Teysa rested both hands on the knob of her cane and studied Emmara’s distraught expression. “So now that you have made it clear there is something you desire, how about a business proposition? Tell me the three remaining guildgates, in the correct order, and I will give you whatever it is you desire.”

“No deal,” Emmara said, but her voice was weak and frail. She closed her eyes and tried to connect with Jace through her thoughts. She didn’t know how to get out of this alone. A couple of minutes ago, the Orzhov Envoy had been ready to cut off her hand. Now… things had changed. She chose her words very carefully, gaze focused on the outline of the verity circle. “I will not give you the information you seek, deceiver.” As she spoke, she became more and more aware of the taller woman’s proximity to her. 

“Oh, but it’s always the ones like you, isn’t it?” Teysa said, rolling her eyes. She’d figured it out. “The righteous vigilante. The advocates of peace. The purest.” Teysa resumed walking in circles around the elf. Emmara could feel the woman’s breath against her neck. “It’s always the ones like you with the simplest of desires. You don’t want money or power. No. You want to be defiled, don’t you? Oh, of course you’d deny it-- swear you have no idea what I mean. That’s what you would do if you weren’t in my trap right now, unable to lie.”

Teysa watched carefully as Emmara went rigid, refusing to make eye contact. It was almost too easy. The advokist considered breaking the verity circle to make things a little more interesting, but she was running out of time and she needed answers. Teysa stopped in front of her captive and pinched her chin between her thumb and forefinger, raising Emmara's face to look her in the eyes. “All you have to do is tell me the correct order,” she coaxed, running the edge of her thumb over Emmara’s bottom lip. She watched the conflict flash in the elf’s blue eyes, leaning in closer to whisper in her ear again. “What is the correct order?” Her lips brushed over the side of Emmara’s jaw. 

“I--” the Selesnyan stuttered, squeezing her eyes shut as the magic compelled her to tell the truth. “S-Simic…”

Teysa hummed her approval. She could taste victory. “The next gate?” she questioned, her patience growing thin. Emmara sank her teeth into her bottom lip to keep herself from talking.

“Perhaps I can persuade you.” 

Teysa grabbed a handful of golden hair and pressed her mouth hard against the elf’s. Even though her intentions were purely to extract information, she was surprised by the softness of the shorter woman’s lips, and the fervor of which the elf kissed her back. Desperate, almost. 

The kiss, however, was cut short by one of her own thralls barging through the door and charging straight at the advokist herself. Jace had arrived.

* * *

Weeks had passed since the new Guildpact was established, and even though things were looking up, Emmara could not get a good night's sleep. Her guildmates assumed it was terrible grief over the loss of her Calomir, but Emmara knew it was something else. 

The kiss.

Now that the maze was over and order was restored, all the time and energy Emmara had devoted to the cause was left unspent. Sure, she had her duties to the Conclave, but overall she had a lot more free time. Most of it was spent in her quarters, trying her hardest not to think about the kiss-- and failing.

Teysa had gotten what she wanted. Surely, the kiss was all just a ploy to extort information from her. No way would she have fallen victim to such primal desires. Her stomach lurched.

But as the days went by, Emmara grew increasingly frustrated by the lack of closure. One afternoon, when she’d finally had enough, she completed her work early and slipped on a heavy green cloak. She made her way towards the Orzhov district to confront the advokist and uncover the truth.

* * *

Teysa was particularly irritable. Jace Beleren was missing in action, and a fair load of paperwork was unable to be completed without the Living Guildpact’s seal of approval. She’d shut herself in her office, pouring over scrolls and documents for hours on end. The guild was booming after the creation of the new Pact. With the aggression between the guilds somewhat resolved, trade was bounding and the Orzhov had a hand in it all. Needless to say, it came as a fairly big surprise when a certain elf showed up at her office.

Teysa looked up from her work and raised an eyebrow. “Emmara Tandris,” she said. “What can I do for you?” She had an idea, of course, and memories of the maze flashed through her mind. Teysa had never been above using her body as a means to an end. It had certainly surprised her, though, when the elf betrayed desires of the physical kind. Selesnyans were often the easiest for her to read, she supposed. 

Of course she’d meant to kill the woman the second she’d gotten the route, no matter how much she did or did not enjoy the kiss. It was a different story now that the Selesnyans were eating out of the palm of Emmara’s hand. Killing the woman would be a terrible and unnecessary endeavor-- one that Jace Beleren would personally pursue. So killing her was off the table, then. She squoze the knob of her cane, looking at Emmara expectantly. 

“You put a spell on me,” the elf accused, pulling the heavy green hood back from her face. “You've cursed me with impure thoughts.” 

A spell? How rich. Teysa could barely contain her amusement. She set down her expensive pen and uncrossed her legs. “You’ve got it all wrong, dear. The only spell I cast was the verity circle. Your thoughts are your own.” She let that sink in before adding, “But I do believe I can help you. For a price, that is.” 

Emmara refused to believe it. Of course the cunning Orzhov would never admit to tampering with her thoughts. If she wanted to be free of the spell, she would have to pay. Needless to say, her position in the Conclave afforded her more than a living-- and Emmara was a woman of simple desires. Even after contributing funds towards the guildless and orphanage shelters, she still had plenty of Zinos to spare. “How much, then?” she asked, struggling to meet Teysa’s scrying grey gaze. 

Teysa considered her options. Money, of course, was the simplest demand-- and one that her Orzhov blood made hard to resist. However, the elf in front of her was an important and well-respected Selesnyan. The maze runner. Trostani’s champion, no less. She could do better than a few Zinos. She could refuse to help at all. That would be foolish, though, she thought, as the possibilities fanned out before her.

“Rights to expand the Orzhov markets deeper within the Selesnya district,” she decided. “An inevitable end, of course, but an end I am sure you would be happy to move along in return for a… cure.” 

Emmara's fists clenched. She was unsure if she could abuse her position like that in order to help a guild like the Orzhov- criminals hiding under the guise of a false religion. Was it worth betraying her sense of morals in order to be able to sleep at night? As she thought over the right decision, Teysa rose from her chair and approached. Emmara, reluctant to let the woman put her in another one of those advokist’s circles, backed herself into the door. Teysa looked at her as if she’d just won a grand prize.

The Orzhov rested her cane against the wall and cornered the Selesnyan-- eager to test her affect on the elf. How bad had the hidden desires grown, left to stew over the weeks since the kiss? Teysa recalled the absolute desperation in which the elf had kissed her back. She pressed herself against Emmara to keep her balance and once more found her place whispering in her ear. “Do we have a deal?” 

Heat rose to Emmara's cheeks as the advokist closed the distance, pressing her soft and confident body against the elf’s own. She’d never… been this close with a human before. Was Teysa even human? She shivered as she felt the lawmage’s breath tickle her neck. The situation was surprisingly similar to the fantasies she liked to pretend she didn’t have on the nights that she couldn’t find sleep. 

“Trostani, forgive me…” she said as Teysa’s lips found her pulse point. The advokist kissed up the side of her neck. Emmara could feel controlled hands running up the sides of her stomach. It was all too much to take in. She threw her head back against the wall and fought a moan. “Y-yes.”

Teysa stopped. “Yes, you will honor this contract?” she demanded, pulling back to look the elf in the eyes. Emmara's pale skin was flushed a beautiful shade of red. 

Emmara nodded and squirmed at the loss of contact. “Yes. Just give me the cure.” 

“Very well.”

Teysa pinned the elf to the wall with surprising strength, crashing their lips together as she found Emmara’s wrists and held them hostage above the Selesnyan’s head. Strictly business, she thought to herself as she trailed kisses from Emmara’s mouth to her collarbone. The elf was surprisingly loud, whines and gasps falling freely from her lips. How long had it been since she had been touched this way? 

Teysa made quick work of the clasp of Emmara’s cloak, letting the fabric fall loosely to the floor. The elf was dressed in a long, flowing white gown interwoven with patterns of trees. The advokist could barely contain a snort. She realized, however, upon glancing down, that her own state of dress was not much better. The giant Orzhov symbol was displayed proudly around her chest. 

At this point, Emmara was putty in her hands. Teysa wondered briefly how rough the elf wanted this whole affair-- but she shook the question from her mind. The elf would get what she wanted. Teysa was only concerned with the stretch of Selesnyan land waiting for her to build upon. Eager to get this out of the way so she could begin calculating the structural costs, she grabbed a handful of long blonde hair and tipped the elf’s head back for better access. Emmara tasted faintly earthy, but not at all in a bad way. Teysa scraped her teeth along the shorter woman’s neck, shamelessly leaving mark after mark on the smooth strip of skin.

“How long have you been thinking about this?” Teysa asked, voice rough with false desire. False, at least, she told herself. Emmara could only whimper in response, pulling on the front of Teysa’s shirt.

“Since you put this curse on me,” Emmara said, wincing as sharp teeth dug into her neck. “Please, I don’t want to wait any longer…” 

Teysa agreed, wasting no time ripping the elf’s dress down the front. Her leg threatening to give, she tossed the ruined gown to the side and pulled Emmara down on top of it, straddling the elf and effectively pinning her to the floor. She would let the Selesnyan believe it was all a spell. She saw no reason to argue-- the elf had already agreed to the verbally binding contract anyways. Like a lion inspecting her prey, Teysa let her hands roam Emmara’s newly exposed flesh, marveling in the softness of her skin and the way her back arched off the floor when Teysa brushed her fingertips over the elf’s hip bones. 

“So desperate,” she said, leaning down to plant kisses along the elf’s stomach. “Squirm for me like a good girl.” 

Emmara’s body buckled in response, the elf trying desperately to avert her gaze. She glanced down at the Orzhov ravishing her stomach with short, wet kisses. It was so filthy and wrong and…  _ good.  _ Frustrated with the pace, Emmara reached down to direct Teysa’s mouth, much to the advokist’s annoyance. With a snap of Teysa’s fingers, two small orbs of dark magic wrapped around Emmara’s wrists and pinned them to the ground at her sides. Emmara pulled instinctively against the bindings, only to find her resistance met with a dull fiery sensation, like pulling too hard against ropes.

Teysa, satisfied with her handiwork, watched Emmara’s face as she ran her fingers along the inside of the elf’s thighs, nudging them apart. Emmara offered no resistance, her legs falling open and an embarrassed blush painting her cheeks. 

“Eager, are we?” Teysa mused, absentmindedly stroking Emmara’s center over the fabric of her panties. She’d finish this quickly and get back to her paperwork, she told herself. Emmara whimpered in response-- a pitiful sound that Teysa enjoyed far too much. The advokist pulled roughly at the fabric covering her prize. “How embarrassing,” she chided. “You’re soaked." Teysa couldn’t help herself. It was all too easy. She relished the control, rubbing quick circles over Emmara’s glistening clit. 

All the elf could do was moan, her head thrown back and her hands gripping the ruined dress, crumpling the fabric into a ball. She didn’t have the strength to deny it. 

“Please,” she cried out, bucking her hips desperately against Teysa’s nimble fingers. It wasn’t enough. She kept picturing the disappointed faces of her guildmates. She needed more. 

“I do like it when my business partners beg." Teysa felt her way lower, positioning two fingers at Emmara's entrance, slipping them inside with ease. Emmara’s body clenched around them as Teysa curled her fingers, and the elf let out a strangled moan. Teysa pumped in and out relentlessly, keeping the friction over the elf’s clit with the side of her thumb. Emmara could hardly contain the noises that fell from her lips, a beautiful melody against the slapping, wet background noises orchestrated by Teysa’s fingers. Emmara writhed and squirmed, eyes clenched shut as she felt herself so easily approach the edge. 

“What would your precious guildmaster think of you now?” Teysa demanded, adding another finger. It was a tight fit, but Emmara was slick with desire. “Spreading your legs for an Orzhov and paying with Selesnyan land... You’re a dirty traitor. How much does that  _ get you off?”  _

Emmara shook her head in weak protest. Teysa’s words only intensified the sensations. She couldn’t last any longer. A sharp cry caught in her throat, and the elf came undone around the advokist’s fingers, her muscles clenching hard as she reached her climax. Her heart hammered mercilessly in her ears as she tumbled down from her high, squeezing her thighs closed as Teysa pulled away. She could only watch helplessly as the law mage sucked her fingers clean and stood. 

“Clean yourself up and get the hell out of my office. I expect news of the property within a week.”

* * *

Sure, Emmara was the most well-respected member of the Selesnyan Conclave, but she’d learned long ago that one voice was almost meaningless to the guild of unity. She should have taken that into account, then, upon agreeing to Teysa’s contract. 

With her face pink and her pride swallowed, she’d made the request to turn over the land to Orzhov control. While Trostani heard her with open minds, they revealed that they already had plans for the strip of land Teysa wanted, and that there was no way the request could be fulfilled. Emmara ached to tell them about her dark deal with the Envoy of Ghosts, but her own shame prevented her from speaking of the transaction. She was, for lack of a more eloquent term, screwed. 

She could tell Jace, she thought, but the mind mage’s affection for her was painfully apparent, and Emmara didn’t know if he’d help her if he learned of her actions. The urges had only gotten worse and worse. Now, there were real memories instead of fantasies to fuel the fire, and Emmara was a slave to her own mind. It occurred to her, though, that Teysa had offered her a “cure” that had failed to do its job. Perhaps the contract was void.

It also occurred to her that Teysa was more than capable of killing her and getting away with it. Perhaps it was better that Trostani had denied her proposal. Emmara worried that when Teysa got what she wanted, she wouldn’t have reason to keep her alive. 

The only way forward was down.

She sent for a wolf mount.

* * *

“If you hear the slightest signal of distress, break down the door and get me out of here,” she directed her Dimir bodyguard. After a moment she added, “But do _not kill_ _anyone_!” 

The lithe, rogue-ish man nodded, disappointment flashing in his eyes. He faded into the shadows beside the door. Hiring him had been necessary. Emmara could not afford to take risks, especially after her recent failure in fulfilling her contract to the Guild of Deals. Sneaking around, hiding the truth from her own guild, and hiring criminals for protection was so far beyond the elf. She was in deep now, and she needed to resolve things before it became too much of a burden to bear. Her loyalty was to the Selesnya Conclave, and it always would be. This whole thing had to end. 

She took a deep breath and knocked on the heavy mahogany door, surprised to find that her bodyguard had already vanished. 

“Enter.”

Fiddling nervously with the sleeve of her robes, Emmara stepped through the doorway. The office looked the same as it had before-- everything in its place except for the disaster that was the advokist’s desk. The elf jumped as the door slammed shut behind her. 

“I assume you are here to inform me of your failure,” Teysa said sharply, interlocking her fingers on top of the desk. “I have yet to receive proper documentation detailing the points of sale.” 

Emmara stiffened and held her chin up, struggling to maintain eye contact with the law mage. This had to be done, she reminded herself. She had an overwhelming devotion to the Conclave, one that would not be tarnished by a single woman. 

“The deal is off, Teysa,” she said, trying her best to sound confident. “Your cure didn’t work.” She forwent mentioning her own failed half of the bargain.

Teysa laughed. A cutting, vicious sound that sent shivers down Emmara’s spine. The advokist pushed out her heavy chair and stood, grabbing her cane from its perch. She shook her head at the poor elf, maneuvering around to lean against the front edge of the desk. “When, do tell, did I say the cure  _ working  _ was part of the contract? If that was your plan to get out of a deal with the Orzhov, then I’d suggest you get on your knees and start begging for mercy.” She was exaggerating, of course. Kind of. 

Emmara wasn’t going to give up just yet. She knew her bodyguard was waiting outside the door if Teysa decided she wasn’t worth the time anymore. The stubborn elf steeled herself and swallowed hard. “Then I’ll pay. A hundred thousand Zinos. It’s all yours if you just forget any of this ever happened.”

Teysa raised an eyebrow. “You think a hundred thousand Zinos means anything to me?” she scoffed, crossing her good leg over her bad one. “How insulting. I’ve had a bad day already. If you’re going to make an offer, make it worth my time.” The advokist would have offered another deal herself, heavily in the Orzhov’s favor of course, but she was interested to see what Emmara would come up with. Obviously, the Selesnyan wanted-- whatever this was-- erased from existence. But how far was she willing to go? 

Clearly, the elf was undeniably devoted to Trostani and the unity lovers-- an innocent and righteous woman willing to lay down her life and her own desires for the good of the guild. She would never sell her soul to the Orzhov, even if it meant death. 

But Teysa didn’t like it when her contracts weren’t fulfilled. She was already weighing the consequences of outright killing the elf. She’d gotten away with it before. Admittedly, it would take a lot of effort to disguise the disappearance of such a high-profile member of the Conclave. A lot of effort, and a lot of resources. She wasn’t too upset over the elf’s failure to come through with the market expansion. When she’d made the deal, she’d already had a couple of negotiations in place over the land. 

Plus, the elf was good-- well... stress relief. 

“Forget about the contract,” Emmara said after a moment of cold silence, her voice steady. She was out of options. Her lip quivered as she continued, “And I won’t have my assassin kill you.”

Teysa frowned-- a slip up that she immediately corrected. The elf had overstepped. “No. I’ll tell you what’s going to happen,” she hissed, slamming her cane against the floor. “You’re going to call off your so-called assassin, get on your knees, and give your mouth something else to do besides blabber on with meaningless bluffs and empty threats. Then, when I say you’re finished, I will consider rewriting the contract.” She gave it a moment before adding, “You’ll do as I say now, unless you want your precious guild to know that Emmara Tandris makes distasteful deals with the Orzhov.”

Emmara felt her legs go weak, and she nervously clenched her fists. She could scream now. Her bodyguard would hopefully break down the door and get her out of this place. She made the mistake of meeting Teysa’s eyes. She tried to yell for her guard, but her throat was bone dry. No. She could scream, she thought, but Teysa’s threat weighed on her shoulders. Would her guild believe such rumors? Would she be able to lie to the Conclave, to her beloved family?  _ Would they forgive her? _

Then again, there were flames flickering in her lower stomach, the obvious reaction to Teysa’s demands. Emmara felt the heat rise even further, staining her cheeks red. She wanted it. But even more than that, she wanted to serve her guild with an open heart and a sound mind. Maybe if she succumbed one final time, Teysa would keep her word and rewrite the contract. 

Emmara approached the desk with a bowed head and a defeated expression. She dropped to her knees, smoothing her dress out on the floor beneath her, and dared to look up into Teysa’s expectant gaze. 

“Smart choice,” Teysa said, enjoying herself much more than she should have been. She brushed aside one of the scrolls on her desk and revealed a small dagger. Emmara recoiled in fear, but Teysa put a finger against her lips and used her other hand to slice the fabric of the elf’s dress-- right through the embroidered trees. Good. Trees annoyed the hell out of the law mage. When the gown fell sadly in a pile around the Selesnyan, Teysa hummed her approval and made quick work of her own leggings, carefully setting the dagger far out of Emmara’s reach. More than any contract, the advokist craved the delicious feeling of control she’d tasted the last time they had met.

Teysa wasted no time. She grabbed a thick handful of the elf’s beautiful golden hair and pulled her forward.

Emmara gasped, not used to being treated so roughly. She tried her very best to suppress a yelp as Teysa pulled her hair hard. Even the slightest cry could alert her guard-- and on her knees with her face in the advokist’s lap was the very last position she wanted to be found in. She started slowly-- shy, gentle licks up and down. Teysa let out a sharp gasp, and Emmara made a desperate attempt to voice her concerns. 

“Teysa." The Selesnyan struggled to speak as the advokist forced her closer. “The assassin. Please don’t make too much noise.” 

“Shut up and lick," Teysa ordered, glaring down at the elf. She did, however, stifle a moan as Emmara’s teeth grazed where it was most sensitive-- partly to avoid alerting the hired brute, and partly to deny Emmara the satisfaction. Unlike the elf, Teysa was well capable of controlling the noises that threatened to spill from her throat.

Teysa tasted even better than Emmara had imagined-- which she had on more than one occasion. She tasted bitterly sweet, like a strong tea. Emmara lapped eagerly at Teysa’s glistening center, her stomach twisting with desire as she worked up a rhythm. She felt one of Teysa’s legs wrap around her shoulder, urging her closer. The Orzhov’s grip on her hair tightened, and Emmara tried hard not to focus on the pain at her scalp. She wanted nothing more than to please Teysa. It was her best chance, after all.

Even when her jaw began to ache, Emmara kept up the pace. The woman above her thrusted her hips against the elf’s tongue, riding her face and coating Emmara’s cheeks with her juices. The elf wrapped her arms around Teysa’s thighs to get a better angle, lashing her tongue against the advokist’s swollen clit. 

“Yes,” Teysa moaned, her hips lifting off of the desk. “Right there. Lick my cunt.” 

Emmara’s cheeks flushed red. She squeezed her legs together, desperate for any kind of friction. Her head was pounding, partly from the pain of Teysa’s grip and partly from the vulgar words. 

Obediently, she licked and licked until her jaw began to ache, and her teeth felt like they were cutting into her tongue. An immeasurable amount of time passed. The elf knew Teysa would keep her there until she was satisfied, so she dare not slow her pace. 

The wetness coated her neck. Teysa did not betray a moan, but her breathing was heavy and the grip she had on Emmara's hair tightened as she came, hips bucking and slamming into the elf's nose. Emmara whimpered as she was pushed to the floor. There was a long moment of silence, save for Teysa's labored breathing. 

“I’ll destroy the contract,” Teysa said after a while. It physically pained her to do so. Her ghostly ancestors would be furious with her for surrendering such a clear advantage. She took a moment to collect herself. “However…” she continued, crossing her legs and smoothing down her skirt. “You will still come and see me. No contract. Just a mutually beneficial arrangement."

Emmara wiped the side of her mouth with her arm and looked up in surprise. The advokist’s decision to destroy her legal bindings was certainly unexpected. The elf could barely process any of it. Her head was pounding, her face flushed. “I can’t,” she said finally, hanging her head in embarrassment. “I… appreciate your generosity, but this cannot continue.”

It was painfully apparent from Emmara’s face that the elf didn’t trust her. Clearing her throat, Teysa struggled to her feet, flinching at the slickness down her thighs, and took a step forward. Carefully, she dragged her cane in a circle around herself, watching Emmara’s expression to make sure the elf understood what Teysa was about to do. When she completed the verity circle, she grasped the knob of her cane with both hands.

“You will still come and see me,” she repeated. “No contract. No hidden catches. A mutually beneficial, and purely physical arrangement.” She paused for a moment, clicking her tongue. “You see… I’m afraid there is no cure for your  _ condition.  _ It might do you well to reconsider my offer.”

Emmara averted her gaze. “Why would I trust an Orzhov?” 

Teysa’s expression hardened. The advokist hated being questioned, especially in the face of her generosity. Even standing in her own verity circle, the elf found reason to doubt her? Teysa realized, however, that she was beginning to doubt herself. 

“Because this sort of… arrangement, if you will, benefits me as much as it benefits you,” she rephrased, her voice betraying insecurity. She sounded almost as if she was trying to convince herself as much as she was trying to convince the elf. A lingering wave of pleasure tingled through her body, and she decided that her own condition, and the circle beneath her, was interfering with her ability to think rationally. She had half a mind to disrupt the circle. In the dim lighting of her office, Emmara, even with her hair a mess, looked ravishing as she watched the law mage with wide blue eyes.

“I should go,” Emmara stammered, bending down to collect her ruined dress from the floor. She bundled it over her arm and collected her heavy green cloak, wrapping herself up in the safety of the fabric and away from Teysa’s ravenous glare. She threw Teysa a final, fleeting look, and pushed open the door. 

Teysa closed her eyes and burned the moment in the back of her mind. It had been a quick look, but she had caught it. A longing so evident… so undeniable. It had been just a flickering glance, but Teysa had caught it and it changed everything.

The elf would return in a day, two at most.

* * *

Emmara tossed and turned, her mind racing. It had been two days, and she still couldn’t stop picking apart everything Teysa had said. If there was no contract, it wasn’t a betrayal of her guild. There was no doubt that a force was pulling her towards the Orzhov district, demanding she give in to the burning desire. 

Was it right? She’d seen it herself-- Teysa standing in a verity circle just like the one she’d been trapped in. So long as there was no threat to the Conclave, should she pursue even the most selfish of desires? The guild would support her, she thought, even if Teysa was an Orzhov. The Selesnyans had always accepted everyone, regardless of guild or race. 

There was also the matter of Jace. She’d made it clear to the Living Guildpact that she was not interested in humans. What if he read her thoughts? Would Teysa be in danger?

She stayed up until the first rays of light broke through the window opposite her bed. The elf tried desperately not to think about the taste of Teysa’s arousal-- a taste she swore still lingered on her tongue. She tried desperately to think of something, anything else, for fear that she might not be able to control herself. Even the slightest memory affected her in ways that she couldn’t describe. 

Could she be so selfish? If she did decide to see Teysa again, with an emphasis on  _ if _ , she would make sure all of her duties to the Conclave came first. Satisfied with this resolution, she was finally able to let sleep overcome her.

* * *

Teysa was not so fortunate. Her body ached with disapproval. How had she so willingly terminated a contract so heavily in her favor? Though Teysa had used her body to get what she wanted in the past, it was all in a strictly business kind of way. This was… different. The elf didn’t have anything to offer her. Was she so easily controlled by her own physical desire?

Emmara didn’t come in the two days Teysa had predicted, and it drove the advokist mad. She’d been so confident that the elf wouldn’t be able to help herself. For a moment, she considered sending a letter… perhaps even visiting the blasted Conclave. But for what? That would mean surrendering control-- a notion Teysa would never, ever embrace.

She started to think she’d been  _ wrong, _ even, and it pissed her off. She vented her anger through her work, even more ruthless in court than usual. How could she let an elf-- no, a  _ Selesnyan  _ elf affect her this way? She should kill her for this. 

She would kill her for this.

Driven by rage and… rejection, Teysa pulled out a form and began drafting a request. A Dimir-- no, a  _ Rakdos _ assassin would do well. She scribbled impatiently, writing out the terms of agreement, until her office door opened and she nearly knocked over the ink well in alarm. 

“What!?” she snapped. She couldn’t help but hope it was a certain blonde elf. Two of her thralls, however, stood trembling in the doorway. 

“L-Lady Karlov,” squeaked the intelligent one. 

Teysa smoothed her expression. “What is it?”

“Barheez and brother give treasure,” the goblin tried his best to explain. He was a new one. Teysa had created him a few days ago, when her former servant had spoken out of turn. He’d caught her on a bad day. 

“Why are you wasting my time with petty collections?” she demanded. “Take the zinos to the treasury. You should know this by now.”

“Barheez given pin by lady. Said give to master! Said you say name to wake up!” the goblin shrieked, hands shaking as he held forward a shiny, intricate emblem. There was a design etched into the front of the metal.

A… tree? Teysa shoved the parchment she was writing on under a nearby stack of books and beckoned the thrall forward. The goblin stumbled in his excitement and tripped over a rug, the emblem flying through the air and tumbling into the corner of the room. It took an immense amount of self control not to kill him for his clumsiness. The goblin scurried to retrieve the pin and presented it before Teysa, his whole body trembling now. 

Teysa turned the pin over in her hands, inspecting the intricate craftsmanship. 

“Leave.”

* * *

Teysa waited. It was a difficult feat, but she refused to give the elf the satisfaction of indulging the second the trinket came into her possession. It was fitting, she thought, to return the favor. As the Envoy of the Orzhov, she’d seen countless bits of treasure, but none quite like the tree pin that sat obediently on the edge of her desk for the remainder of the night. The unfinished assassination contract lay buried beside it. Teysa preferred to have all of her options laid out in front of her. 

She debated waiting until the next day, but even Teysa Karlov lacked _ that _ sort of self control. 

The moon hung high in the sky by the time Teysa decided it was time. She held the bronze emblem in her palm for a moment. How would this thing work? Having waited long enough, she pressed her lips against the cool metal and whispered, “Emmara Tandris.”

A surprising surge of elvish magic released from the trinket, flooding the room with yellow light. Teysa winced. There was a reason the interiors of Orzhov structures never saw the sunlight. 

The light shimmered for a good few seconds before dissipating. Teysa’s breath caught in her throat as she waited for something-- anything.

“It’s past midnight, Teysa,” came a soft voice, muffled by the magic. Teysa let out the breath she didn’t know she’d been holding.

“I’m a very busy woman,” the advokist lied. She was, of course, busy-- but she’d purposely put off contacting the elf for a very different reason. 

“I couldn’t sleep, anyways,” came the reply.

Teysa couldn’t tell if it was the mode of communication, or if the elf’s voice really sounded that… frail. Whatever it was, it gave her pause.

“You were thinking about me,” Teysa said. Cocky, she thought. But she’d always been straight to the point. Emmara’s response surprised her.

“You were thinking about me, too.”

How presumptuous, Teysa thought, but she didn’t deny it. Teysa considered her next words carefully. She was determined to show no weakness. 

“Shall we discuss the terms of the arrangement?” she decided on, testing the waters. Another moment of silence. Teysa began to wonder if the magic tie had been severed.

“The Conclave shall not be involved,” Emmara said, breaking the silence. “And… and you will come to me this time. I dislike your dingy office.”  _ Dingy _ ? Teysa scowled and glanced around the room. Sure, the furniture was old, and the floorboards creaked ever so slightly, but that’s the way that the advokist liked it. She looked back at the shimmering token in the palm of her hand. 

It was a bold proposition. She contemplated suggesting Pavlov’s inn, but smirked at the thought of the elf among the carnage of the fight pit. She knew for certain, however, that she would not be venturing anywhere close to the Selesnyan district. Just the thought of being surrounded by nature enthusiasts made her stomach lurch. She decided on middle ground-- a place she often went to negotiate with business associates. 

“Griffin’s Beak,” she proposed. “Azorius district. Room three. Tomorrow at sundown.”

Emmara breathed a sigh of relief. Dusk afforded her enough time to finish her work at the Conclave. Plus, meeting at an Azorius inn allowed Emmara to feel less self-conscious about telling her guildmates of her whereabouts. All they knew was that she was seeing a mysterious Orzhov suitor. In a way, she was, but she doubted Teysa would agree.

“Okay,” Emmara said, “But this isn’t a contract.”

“I know. It doesn’t need to be. You’ll show up.”

* * *

The thought entertained her mind for a brief moment, no more. Was this… a  _ date _ ? Surely not. Courtship did not begin with shady contracts and frivolous demands. But she’d never “dated” an Orzhov before… She shook her head. It was obvious that Teysa thought nothing more of it than a business arrangement. Before she could ask herself if she  _ wanted _ it to be a date or not, she pushed the thought from her head. It was probably for the best.

Though the loss of Calomir had taken its toll, she was healing with the support of her guildmates. Perhaps it was finally time to address her own needs and desires-- especially since the great ordeal of the maze. She had to admit, she was nervous about being seen with Teysa-- a human-- in public, but the advokist commanded such incredible respect, even from people unaware of her position as the speaker of the Obzedat, that she doubted it mattered after all. 

She arrived at the inn a little before sunset, nervously finding her way to room three and sat rigid on the very edge of the bed. Tesya, always punctual, arrived at the precise moment that the sun fell behind the horizon. 

Teysa’s gaze flitted around the inn, searching like a cat for a mouse. She weaved her way through the tables, catching more than a few stares. She stopped at room three and turned the knob. Emmara looked up.

The Orzhov envoy looked like she was on her way to court. Her hair framed her face perfectly, her robes were devoid of a single wrinkle, and she held herself above everybody else, the Orzhov symbol displayed proudly on her chest. Upon catching sight of it, Emmara couldn’t stop the flood of indecent memories from intruding into her mind. 

Emmara herself was dressed in a simple bright green dress-- this one, for once, absent of any tree decorations. The sleeves cascaded down her shoulders and frayed off around the tips of her fingers. She felt very underdressed compared to the advokist. 

It wasn’t like Emmara hadn’t gone over this meeting a million times in her head. She hadn’t, however, expected Teysa to move so quickly. The advokist was before her in seconds, her cane thrown to the side of the bed, pushing Emmara onto her back and climbing on top of her. She wasted no time with a greeting, only pressed her mouth against the elf’s impatiently. Emmara gasped into the kiss, fumbling to find a place for her hands, tugging at Teysa’s clothes with matching desperation. The law mage bit hard at Emmara’s bottom lip, letting the elf tear her cloak away and toss it across the room. Teysa pulled the dress off of Emmara’s shoulders in return, nipping at the exposed flesh between kisses. It was chaotic-- almost carnal, in a way. 

Teysa was running out of patience. It seemed like years since their last meeting, and even with the elf spread beneath her, she still wasn’t satisfied. 

~

Hours later when they'd exhausted themselves and Teysa made a blunt exit, Emmara found she still wasn't satisfied, but in a strange new way. Some small, foolish part of her had hoped that maybe Teysa would stay afterwards. Maybe they could talk, or they could have tea. The advokist had made an exit as if she were  _ deathly  _ allergic to conversations that didn't revolve around the business world, and the elf just could not help herself. As she laid amongst the damp sheets of the inn bed, she had to remind herself that the arrangement was purely physical of nature. She couldn't help but wonder though, who Teysa really was underneath her mysterious demeanor. She supposed it was only natural to let her mind wander that way, after being that close with someone. Or perhaps it was the lingering euphoria of so many blissful orgasms.

* * *

The question caught Teysa off guard. 

Teysa and Emmara had been seeing each other as often as possible for a few weeks now. It was always the same-- they would meet at an inn, or at Teysa’s office (the advokist refused to go anywhere near the Selesnyan district), spend the night together, and leave immediately after. There was no talking. No feelings. Just rough and addictive sex.

Teysa had had a particularly stressful day, complete with three court appearances and a massive pile of paperwork. Her frustration was apparent in the red marks and bruises flaring angrily against Emmara’s skin. Teysa was about halfway down Emmara’s stomach when she noticed the elf was being much quieter than usual. She glanced up. The elf looked lost in thought.

“What?” Teysa asked, annoyance evident in her tone.

Emmara sat up. 

“If I asked you what was bothering you, would you tell me?”

“No.”

Emmara scowled, brushing a stray hair from her face. She could tell something was off about her lover-- and while she didn’t mind the additional roughness, she couldn’t help but feel genuinely concerned. Perhaps it was just a symptom of being a healer for so long.

“Please?”

Teysa scowled back. “Begging won’t work this time,” she warned. Where had this come from? The question made Teysa feel… uncomfortable? She was used to being the one asking the questions, anyways. She looked up at the concern written on the elf’s features. “Can we get a move on?”

Emmara nodded, but she couldn’t stop thinking about it as Teysa resumed the kissing. 

“Stop.”

Teysa froze. Emmara had never acted like this before, and the Orzhov began to suspect something was wrong. A shapeshifter? She snapped to alertness, scooting over to sit on the other side of the bed, her eyes searching Emmara’s body with suspicion. “What?” she asked again, hand instinctively hovering over the three black stones embedded into her wrist. How had she let herself become so vulnerable?

“I can’t do this. Something is bothering you,” Emmara explained, covering her nakedness as best as she could. It wasn’t as if it was anything Teysa hadn’t seen before. 

“Why do you care?” Teysa accused, “Talking was never part of our agreement.”

“You told me there was no agreement. No contracts, remember?”

“If I tell you can we go back to doing what we were doing before?” 

“... I suppose.”

“I’m just overworked right now. Too many idiots to manage. If I told you the rest, you’d get angry and send a horde of righteous centaurs to arrest me. Also, I’m very sexually frustrated. Can we continue now?” she asked, twitching with impatience. Emmara narrowed her eyes, but seemed to accept the explanation. 

“Maybe if you told me it would turn me on,” Emmara suggested. “You know… the whole big bad Orzhov criminal thing. Maybe I think it’s hot.”

“Are you really trying to lie to me right now? You’re Selesnyan-- a really high ranking Selesnyan. You can’t stand me. I’m going to kiss you now and you’re going to shut up.”

Emmara didn’t argue with that.

* * *

What things had Teysa done? Murdered? Extorted? Sold her soul? Even if she had done all of those things, why hadn’t it stopped Emmara from going back time and time again? The elf blushed as it occurred to her that she was now also on the list.

She didn’t want to dwell on it too long. She decided to just focus on writing her proposal to the guildmaster. The elf was working on a plan to raise funds to support the ongoing repairs of the city, still shaken since the events of the Dragon’s Maze. She’d allocated a couple of Selesnyan workers to different parts of the city, but she didn’t expect them to work for free. Finding the money was difficult, though, since the Orzhov had tightened trade regulations and raised taxes. It made sense. The market was bustling with investors keen on fixing the damage and profiting off of it too.

She thought to ask a certain Orzhov advokist for help negotiating the terms of her proposal, but she thought better of it. Teysa didn’t want anything more from her than a few hot nights a week. Frustrated, the elf set down her pen and rested her forehead against the top of her desk. She could ask Jace, she thought. In fact, she should have thought of that first. The Living Guildpact was doing his best to reunite the city-- the only difference was Emmara’s determination to help those that didn’t belong to one of the twelve guilds of Ravnica. 

Jace was probably incredibly busy. Perhaps before the Maze, Emmara would have simply shown up at his doorstep to ask for help, but it was different now. She’d have to arrange a meeting, and even then she was hesitant to face the mind mage again. She doubted she could disguise her thoughts about Teysa, and she didn’t want to hurt Jace’s feelings. 

No. She had to do this herself. She sighed and stretched out her arms, staring at the half finished proposal on her desk. The words simply would not come to her. No matter how hard she tried to stop herself, she could not help but think of Teysa. The woman was an Orzhov advokist. A master of drafting agreements. 

It was decided, then. The next time that they met, she would ask Teysa for help. The thought excited her-- got her heart racing. She wanted to see the look Teysa got on her face when she was focused on something. She wanted to hear her brilliant ideas, and to get a glimpse into her mind. She wanted to make her tea while she drafted the proposal, and she wanted to know if Teysa liked it black, or if, like she suspected, she liked it a little sweet, even if she would never admit it.

When she thought of these things, she didn't feel the same guilt that usually accompanied her wild and uncontrollable daydreams. After all, she thought, this way it would still be a business arrangement.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I've had this drafted in my docs for ages and just got around to uploading. Kind of an unusual pairing, but if enough people like it I do have the rest of the story outlined. Hope you enjoyed!


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